


To Catch an Unsub

by w00t4ewan



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Case Fic, F/F, Tumblr Prompt, Undercover
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-11
Updated: 2015-12-02
Packaged: 2018-03-17 09:05:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 19,482
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3523523
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/w00t4ewan/pseuds/w00t4ewan
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>JJ and Emily have to go undercover as a couple to help catch an unsub in a rural Alabama town and soon find out they have more in common than they thought.</p><p>[On Hiatus]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

"Our best plan of attack would be to get in there undercover to gain the interest of the unsub," Derek quipped as he eyed his fellow agents. His implications went unnoticed by his intended victims.

"I think Morgan is right," Hotch agreed. He nodded in the women's direction, "Only if you're willing."

The unsub had been targeting minority couples that seemed to be new to the area, abducting them and forcing the assumed weaker of the pair to watch as the unsub tortured the stronger to death before murdering the witness. So far they had covered a mixed race couple, a couple with handicaps, and a couple with more than 30 years age difference. All couples had visited the same bar before their abductions. The unsub left explicit notes at each crime scene, the last suggesting they would be attacking a same sex couple next. Their attacks had escalated in a short time and the team was hellbent on catching them before they could reap further havoc on the small Alabama town.

Emily choked on her water when she realized what exactly the men were suggesting. She and JJ would need to set the trap, going undercover as a couple to lure the unsub out of hiding. It wasn't the undercover part that made Emily's heart race, it was the fact she and JJ would have to play lovers for the assignment. She wasn't entirely sure why the thought made her stomach flutter but she knew it was their best shot at catching the bastard responsible for the murders.

"I'm in," JJ answered without hesitation. "Let's do this."

"I think you mean _lez_ do this," Morgan grinned, chuckling at his own pun. Emily punched him in the arm, rolling her eyes.

"Yeah, we can do this," Emily answered, not sure who exactly she was trying to convince more. She had gone undercover numerous times before with much dire consequences, take for example the two years she spent as Lauren Reynolds. She shuddered thinking about how that operation had ended, her clover scar stinging slightly under her blouse. She had almost lost everything because of that operation. She had gone after Ian Doyle on her own, hadn't trusted her team, and she nearly wound up dead. Or rather she did wind up dead as far as the team knew, she had only recently come back to the BAU and tensions were high. Other than JJ and Hotch the rest of the team had been under the impression she had been murdered for over six months until she showed up int he BAU alive and well. For the most part her team mates seemed to have forgiven her betrayal, save for Reid who had taken it personally. Emily was dead set on doing anything she could to prove her dedication to the team and if it meant going under cover for this case, then she would do it with bells and whistles on.

"Emily, you should be comfortable with lying to everyone. This should be pretty easy for you," Reid scoffed as he walked out of the room. JJ sighed and Hotch gave her a nonverbal cue to follow after him. She had been the one Reid had reached out to after Emily's funeral. He had spent weeks on end on her couch crying over their loss and JJ had never been able to tell him the truth. He would arrive in the middle of the night with tear stained cheeks and swollen eyes. She would sit on the couch for hours, arms wrapped around the younger man, attempting to comfort him. She knew he had taken Emily's presumed loss the hardest but she was sworn to keep Emily's status under wraps. Once Emily had returned Spencer had been unfairly venomous towards her. As far as the team knew, Hotch had made the decision on his own and he had been the only one who knew Emily had survived. He had, up to this point, done his best to keep JJ out of the cross hairs. JJ was grateful for the gesture but she knew it was only a matter of time before the truth came out.

"Spence," JJ called as she caught up with Reid in the hallway.

"How can everyone just be okay with this?"

"Spence, she's back now. I know you're upset but the important point is that she is back now. How can you be so upset by that?" JJ asked as she instinctively rubbed his back just as she'd done on those many nights in her living room.

"How can you not be?" Reid asked as he looked up with broken brown eyes. Before JJ could reply the team came out of the conference room and headed down the hallway towards the two agents.

"We need to get a move on if we want you two at the bar by tonight," Hotch said as he gave JJ a knowing nod.

JJ squeezed Reid's hand and offered a small smile of encouragement. They joined the team and followed a local police officer to the conference room to set their plan in place. JJ knew the truth would have to wait a few more days, at least until the case was over. She wanted to come clean to her friend but now was not the time nor place. There was a serial killer on a rampage and they would have to work together to bring him in with the least amount of further damage to the community.

________________________________________

"You've reached the powerful and all knowing, how can I be of service?" Garcia chimed in her general upbeat demeanor.

"Garcia, I need you to pull up the cameras on this place and make sure you've got eyes and ears. It's going to be loud and there's a chance our comms won't work," Emily explained.

"Anything you need, my darling!"

Emily smiled at the chipper sound of her friend's voice. She was happy that Garcia had forgiven her almost immediately and had been the first to truly make her feel welcomed back at the bureau, "Thanks Garcia."

"You take care of my gumdrop, Emily! I don't want to have to get mad at you again," Garcia reminded jokingly.

"I promise," Emily laughed as she hung up the phone. She looked across the seat towards JJ who was busy humming along to the radio as they made their way to the bar. The night air was crisp and lightly scented with the impending rain storm. Emily rolled her window down a bit further as she let her hand glide along in the wind. She couldn't help but think how stunning JJ looked in her tight jeans and navy v-neck blouse which made her eyes sparkle. Her hair was down and just long enough now that the tips danced over her strong shoulders. Emily had missed JJ more than anyone else. They had kept in contact over her hiatus but it wasn't the same as being next to her. Seeing that grin that would make a dentist proud, hearing that laugh, getting lost in those baby blues. There was definitely something special about JJ that Emily had never been able to fully admit to herself, though she had spent countless nights awake at night pondering exactly what _it_ was.

"Well, this is it," JJ stated as they pulled into the parking lot of The Roundup. They parked to the side of the building and placed their comms in their ears. JJ ran her fingers through her hair and applied a coat of lipstick before turning to Emily to get final approval.

"You look stunning, Jayje," Emily whispered. "Now are we solid on this cover?"

"I'm Sarah and you're Jessica Hartwell. Moved here a little over a month ago, out to have a good time and meet the locals. The unsub specifically goes after couples with an obvious power struggle, so I'll be the dominant one," JJ concluded.

"You?" Emily asked with a raised eyebrow, "Dominant?"

"Oh, you have no idea Mrs Hartwell," JJ purred seductively, leaning in a little too close for Emily's comfort. The brunette pulled back and shrugged. It was all a ruse after all, JJ could pretend to be the Queen of England for all she cared as long as it meant this scumbag would be in custody.

"Alright, then. After you," Emily insisted as they exited the SUV. They met at the back of the vehicle and JJ took Emily's hand as if they had done it a million times before. Emily blushed as she felt a spark shoot up her arm and turn to a thousand butterflies in the pit of her stomach. She casually readjusted to intertwine her fingers with JJ's as she tried to keep up with the blonde. JJ was happy to be in the lead because it meant Emily couldn't see the grin that spread across her face at that simple gesture.

________________________________

The women entered the bar and scoped out the scene, despite being a small town the bar was rather packed for a Thursday night. Emily chuckled as she noticed a nearby flier and pointed it out to JJ. _Thursday Night Dart Challenge_

"Looks like we're here on the right night," JJ grinned. She waved down the bartender who didn't seem to quite fit in with the rest of the crowd. His tanned skin was covered in intricate tattoos, hair buzzed close to the scalp and each ear boasted multiple gauged piercings. He was wearing a cut off jean vest over a tight fitted black tank that showed off a sculpted physique that Derek Morgan would be jealous of. His voice was raspy as he made his way to the women who had taken up a seat near the end of the bar.

"And what can i get you, blondie?"

"I'll have the local brew and whatever Jessica wants," JJ smiled as she looked towards Emily who had not recognized the name JJ had used. "Jessica, darling?"

"Oh! Right! I'll have what she's having," Emily replied once she regained focus. She was already getting distracted by the way JJ was leaning forward on the bar, popping her hip to one side accentuating the fit of her jeans. It was going to be a long night and they had yet to begin the search for the unsub, if he was even in attendance. Though something in her gut was telling Emily he was. She knew they had to make their presence know in order to catch his eye so after their first round she pulled JJ from her chair and drug her to the dance floor.

"Em, er, Jessica babe," JJ groaned as she tried to pull against Emily's strong hold,"You know I don't dance."

Emily pulled her close and whispered into her ear, "Perhaps JJ didn't but something tells me Sarah is full of secrets."

"Damn Prentiss! Laying on the charm!" Derek chimed in over their earpieces. Emily and JJ pulled apart as if the team could see them and blushed at the sudden intrusion on their conversation. They chuckled as they eyed each other awkwardly.

The song changed to something a bit more up tempo and Emily watched as more couples joined them on the dance floor. They would have to make some sort of spectacle of themselves if they wished to get the attention of their chosen target, whomever he may be. Emily took JJ by the hand and lead her to the middle of the dance floor. JJ was thankful the dim lighting his her blushed cheeks as Emily placed hands on either side of JJ's waist and pulled her close.

JJ let herself get lost in the music and took her lead for Emily's rhythm. They moved to the music as the beat pulsated throughout the crowd. Emily placed her arms on JJ's shoulders and dropped to a squat, tracing JJ's torso with a single finger on her way back up to meet questioning blue eyes. Not to be outdone, JJ turned around and placed her hips squarely against Emily's and ground into her to the beat of the song. Emily let out a soft moan at the physical connection as JJ pushed against her while draping her arms over her head, running her fingers through her hair. Emily could smell the scent of JJ's tresses and she bit her lip to keep control. That _thing_ , whatever it was, was taking hold of her in unexpected ways. She grabbed JJ and spun her back around by the wrist, positing her thigh precariously between JJ's and moving her hips slowly with a certain lackadaisical swagger that was intoxicating. The two got lost in the primitive movements as their bodies worked against each other, gaining interest from more than a few wandering eyes. 

Emily forgot herself for the briefest of moments but it was just long enough, she leaned in and closed the distance between them. Right as she locked eyes with JJ a strong hand grabbed her by the shoulder and refocused her attention. A large man with blonde hair, wearing a tank top and denim jacket smiled through missing teeth at the otherwise oblivious pair. 

"Mind if I cut in?" he asked Emily as he nodded in JJ's direction. 

"No thank you, I'm doing just fine," JJ smiled as politely as possible as she took a stance in front of Emily to hold back the brunette in case she got a bit jealous. 

"Aww come on little lady!" the man beamed as he licked his lips suggestively. "Name's Ryan. I can show you a good time."

"The 'little lady' said no thank you," Emily repeated through gritted teeth. 

"Don't think I was talking to you, dyke" the man glared.

JJ placed a firm hand on Emily's arm as a reminder that she was supposed to be in the lead for the evening. Emily seemed to understand and stood down momentarily, knowing JJ could take care of herself in the situation. 

"Actually, we were just about to head to the dart board. How about I make you a deal?" JJ smiled mischievously. "If you can beat me at a round of darts then you may have a dance."

The hick laughed at the implication and threw out a hand, "Agreed little Missy. But you better be ready for a real man to show you just how to move on the dance floor." They shook hands and he headed across the bar. 

"I think we have a potential match," Emily whispered to Derek over the comm. "Ryan, blonde, green eyes, 6'3", Semper Fi tattoo on the right forearm."

"Em, if this guy is ex-Marines you need to keep an eye out. It would make sense that our unsub has tactical training. Don't take you eyes off of JJ. This could be exactly how he lures in his victims, pitting them against each other in a show of force to weed out the dominant. Be careful, Garcia has eyes on the bar and we're outside awaiting your call if things get heated," Derek explained. Emily nodded although she knew he couldn't see her and escorted JJ towards the dart board where a crowd had formed. "I'll get Garcia to see what she can find on him, in the meantime try and play it cool."

"See this?" Ryan pointed at a picture of himself on the wall nearby. "That's because I'm the reigning champion around here."

"We'll see about that," the petite blonde laughed as she removed her set of darts from the holder. 

"Ladies first," the man chuckled as he gulped down beer from a frosted mug while his gaze lingered on JJ's tight jeans. Emily caught the inappropriate glare and gritted her teeth to keep from saying anything. She waited patiently for Derek to come back on the comm with something concrete so she would have a reason to take the creep out. 

JJ positioned herself behind the line and threw her first dart. She hit squarely in the 20 point slice and smiled. 

"Well at least you hit the board," Ryan laughed to his table of buddies. He took his place and threw his dart landing on a double 18. The crowd erupted in cheers. "Can't wait to show you exactly how to boot scoot, if you catch my drift," he winked in JJ's direction, making her grimace at the innuendo. 

They took turns and JJ stunned the crowd with a bullseye just 8 turns in. Ryan repeated the feat easily and quickly took the lead. After fifteen minutes the score was down to Ryan with 42 points remaining while JJ was trailing with 51.

"You've got this, erm, Sarah," Emily smiled as she playfully slapped JJ's ass in encouragement. JJ nodded and took a deep breath as she approached the line. She could go for the 50 and then land a 1 but that would take two turns and perfect aim. She decided to take her chances, she steadied her hand and pulled back, closing one eye to focus and throwing with one swift movement. The dart landed firmly on the triple 17. 

The crowd went wild and Emily swooped JJ up in her arms in celebration. Before she realized what she was doing she leaned in and planted a chaste kiss on JJ's lips. JJ blushed and pulled away hastily. 

"Fucking fagots!" Ryan cursed as he reached in his pocket and produced a knife. 

Time slowed as Emily instinctively went to draw her sidearm which she wasn't wearing. He lunged at her and she ducked just in time, he missed her but managed to slice JJ's cheek with the blade. Emily's blood boiled as she swiftly threw out her leg and caught him off balance sending him falling backwards into a table. He regained control and lunged again, this time Emily landed a closed fist across his face,making blood gush from his nose. He retaliated and managed to grab her hair and slam her face into a nearby table. JJ took a stance and landed a side kick to his chest. Ryan staggered backwards as a loud voice announced "FBI!"

"FBI?" Ryan asked as he held his bloodied nose. 

Just then Derek and Hotch rushed through the front door and quickly placed handcuffs on the bewildered man. Spencer came up from behind with Rossi to check on the women. Emily flexed her swollen hand and shrugged off Rossi's concern. Reid only half heartily glanced over at her as he immediately made his way to the blonde. 

"JJ, are you alright?" Reid asked, dabbing at her bloodied cheek with a napkin. 

"I'm fine, it's just a minor cut," JJ reassured, wincing slightly as she took the napkin away form Spencer who was still dabbing absentmindedly at her cheek. 

"You guys did great," Derek stated as Hotch and a local police officer lead Ryan out the front door and into the back of a squad car. "Penelope found out this guy has a history of violence. His wife recently left him for a Hispanic man and we think that's what sent him over the edge. With a cocky son of a bitch like this I'm sure he'll end up confessing in no time. You guys can head to the hospital, Hotch and Rossi are going to head up the interrogation."

"Yeah, I think I could use a once over by a doctor," JJ frowned as the blood still dripped down her face. The cut was deeper than originally thought. 

"I guess I can get my hand checked out too. I'll ride along," Emily admitted as she rubbed her already bruised knuckles. 

"What? The impervious Emily Prentiss accepting medical attention without a fight?" JJ quipped as she raised an eyebrow. 

"Maybe I'm going to watch over you," Emily chided. 

There was some truth to her statement. Emily wanted to keep an eye on JJ after such a close call in the bar. Plus, before their night had turned serious she had been enjoying their playful banter and flirtatious dancing. Not to mention she knew at least one of her knuckles was broken and she would need to get it set so it would heal properly. 

They bid their male counterparts goodbye and loaded up in the SUV to head towards the hospital. Once safely inside Emily chuckled as the drove down the road in silence. 

"What's so funny?" JJ asked as she held the steering wheel with one hand, the other still firmly placing pressure against her wound. 

"We just make a terrible pair," Emily conceded. She reached across the console and placed her hand on JJ's thigh, patting it gingerly. JJ's muscles slightly stiffened at the sudden physical contact. 

"I don't know, you did kiss me," JJ smiled. 

"You know that was just for the part right?" Emily asked as she monitored JJ's smile slip momentarily. She suddenly realized her hand was still on JJ's upper thigh and she decided to keep it where it was for the remainder of the ride, enjoying the reddish tint that flooded JJ's pale skin.  
___________________________________________________  
Three hours after their arrival at the hospital the two women signed their releases and headed out. Emily had wound up with two broken knuckles and much to her dismay a cast, and a minor concussion. JJ had escaped without needing stitches but had a few butterfly bandages holding her cut closed. JJ helped Emily into the SUV as the brunette had been dosed with some rather strong pain killers in order to set her hand. Just as she closed the passenger door her phone rang, she fished it out of her pocket and answered as she made her way to the driver side.

"Jareau"

"JJ, we need you guys back at the station. It wasn't Gentry. There's been another murder," Hotch answered. "How soon can you two be back here? It's going to be a long night."


	2. Chapter 2

JJ and Emily pulled up to the police station to meet up with the team. Emily had fallen asleep on the way over from the hospital and JJ really wished she could have taken her to the hotel, she was too doped up to truly be of any help but she wasn't allowed to be unsupervised because of the concussion. She pulled into the parking lot and took a moment to watch the brunette dozing in the passenger seat. Under different circumstances it would be a rather enjoyable moment but there was a killer at large and they needed to work quickly.

"Em," JJ whispered as she gently nudged the other women awake.

"Hmm?"

"We're back at the station," JJ replied as she unbuckled and waited for Emily to do the same. Emily blinked a few times to focus on her surroundings. She stretched her arms and yawned.

"I thought we were going to the hotel?" Emily asked. JJ realized her conversation with Hotch had taken place out of ear shot and Emily had been in and out the entire car ride. She sighed knowing the brunette was not going to like the fact they had been called back to work after such an eventful evening.

"There's another set of bodies. Gentry isn't the killer, he just proved to be a homophobic asshole."

"Jeez, can't catch a break on this one," Emily huffed as she slowly exited the vehicle, leaning against the door to catch her balance. Her head was swimming and vision blurry, there was no way she would be allowed in the field in this condition but she was willing to help at the station with whatever she could.

They made their way inside and met up with the rest of the team. Turned out two bodies had been found in a local residence after a neighbor heard screaming. The unsub was escalating, two couple in two weeks when previously he had put a two week cooling off period between kills. One look at Emily and Hotch knew she would have to stay behind, although JJ volunteered the stay and babysit Hotch left Reid in charge much to the younger agent's dismay. Hotch and the other members of the team headed out with local law enforcement to survey the crime scene.

"So I guess it's just us," Emily sighed as she sat down and rubbed her temples, the pain meds were wearing off and between the throbbing in her head and the fractured knuckles she was in bad shape.

"I guess," Reid muttered as he sat across from her at the large conference table and opened a case file to review notes.

"Reid, I never wanted to hurt you. Or anyone for that matter," Emily admitted quietly. Thinking now was as good a time as any for the difficult conversation to take place. She had been back for a small time but the longer they went without talking the words seemed harder and harder to find. 

"Emily, I think we should just focus on the case," Reid stated flatly without looking up from the folder in his hand.

"No, we're going to be adults about this because it kills me when I see the detest in your eyes every time you look at me. I know you're hurt, I can't even imagine the hell you've been through. The funeral, the grieving... but look I lost someone too. Actually I lost six someones. While you were reeling with losing one person I was alone having to deal with the fact i couldn't talk to any of you," Emily paused knowing that was technically a lie. She and JJ had kept in touch as much as they could but that was just pouring salt in the wound and she wanted avoid further pain. "Reid, if I could have you know I would have told you. JJ and Hotch were sworn to secrecy for my safety...."

"What? JJ?!" Reid yelled. "JJ fucking knew about this too?!"

Emily had not previously known the team was unaware of JJ's involvement in the cover up. She was now stuck with her foot in her mouth and no obvious way to remove it.

"Reid, I'm sorry." she tried to apologize to the younger agent but the blow had already struck him. He was shaking with rage and refused to look her in the eyes. She sighed knowing there was nothing she could say to calm the situation so she decided to calmly leave the room and search the precinct for a pot of coffee.

Emily cursed her big mouth as she found the kitchenette and poured herself a mug of luke warm coffee. It was nearly 2am and the pain meds were wearing off leaving her well aware of her injuries. She struggled to pour the coffee with her newly casted hand and managed to spill it on the floor and her favorite pair of boots.

"Looks like you could use some help," a kind voice offered from behind her. Emily turned to meet a pair of hazel eyes and a friendly smile. The woman took the coffee pot and frowned, "This has got to be hours old. How about I brew you a new pot?"

"Thanks but thats not necessary," Emily smiled at the young woman.

"No, I insist. Your team flew all the way down here and have not stopped on this case. The least I can do is brew some joe," the woman nodded at the spill on the floor and motioned towards a cabinet in the corner, "Paper towels are over there"

"Oh thanks, I'm not really used to this thing yet," Emily admitted as she waved her cast in the air.

"My name is Detective Barner, but you can call me Emma," the young woman beamed. Her shoulder length hair was a sort of brunette that was different depending on the lighting. Shades of blonde and red were highlighted under the florescent lights which made it difficult to name a true tone. Her smile was warm and genuine but there were faint traces of frown lines nagging at the corners. She was young for a detective, possibly early 30s but Emily had learned not to judge a person based on age after dealing with Reid daily.

"Barner? Is that German?" Emily asked as she mopped up her mess with a pile of paper towels.

"Yes actually, it is. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. As a profiler you probably know a lot about genealogy to help dig into an unsubs roots. I just admire what you do so much. I think it's just absolutely enthralling."

"Actually, it was just a lucky guess," Emily joked. Emma blushed slightly as if she had said something embarrassing and went back to making coffee. Noticing the obvious discomfort in Emma's demeanor Emily attempted to lighten the mood, "So how long have you been a detective?"

"Two years now, I've never seen something like this. I mean it's my first serial killer case, I mean it's not even _my_ case but everyone is talking about it. It's a bit intense to tell you the truth, I don't know how you do it everyday," Emma poured two fresh mugs of coffee and handed one to Emily, accidentally brushing her hand in the process. The touch of unfamiliar skin sent a shock through Emily's system as she tried to hide the excitement in her smile. Detective Barner was extremely attractive and Emily was a bit off her game with her pulsating head ache.

"It's all just part of the job. I've been with the bureau almost fifteen years now but it's never something you get used to," Emily stated honestly. She sipped at her coffee as she suddenly realized she was still wearing her faux wedding ring. She starred at it for a moment getting lost in her own thoughts.

"How long have you and your wife been together?" Emma asked.

"My...what? Oh this!" Emily chuckled slipping the ring off and placing it in her pocket, "We're not actually together. It was just a ruse to try and draw out the unsub. A lot of good it did." Emily sighed wondering how they were going to get ahead on this one.

"My apologies! I just heard what happened at the bar and I figured, I'd punch a guy too for coming after my wife. I mean I'm not...well _I am_ but I'm not married. I just meant...." Emma went quiet for a minute and Emily couldn't help but smile at the way she seemed to fluster the young detective.

"You should go for her," Emma finally said after a momentary pause.

"What?"

"Agent Jareau, you should go for her. It's obvious she likes you," the young detective smiled at her idea as if it was the first time Emily had ever thought such a thing. Truth was Emily had been wanting to ask JJ out for some time but never had the courage. She always talked herself out of it, thinking she had misread the signs but after their night at the bar she was changing her mind.

Before they could talk any further Reid entered the kitchen, "Penelope found something on the security video"

Emily nodded and thanked detective Barner for the coffee before following Reid down the hallway that lead to the conference room. The rest of the team had just walked back in and Garcia was anxiously awaiting on speaker phone.

"Baby girl what's up?" Derek asked taking a seat.

"Well I went back on the video from tonight and there was nothing out of the ordinary other than Emily kicking that sleaze's ass," Garcia chimed happily. She had made sure to save the video to her computer in her 'Best Of' folder. "But I did notice the Jacobsons at the bar last night. And the two weeks before on Wednesday as well, the unsub either was either coincidentally at the bar each time or he's stalking his victims."

"He's learning their routines," Rossi pointed out. "The unsub is definitely escalating he didn't abduct the Jacobsons and take them to his hideout. He killed them in their own home, why change his M.O. this late in the game? And what was special about this couple? By all outward appearances they didn't seem to be underprivileged at all."

"I might be able to help with that sir," Garcia replied typing away at her keyboard. "Sandra Jacobson has nearly no history. No credit line, no loans, no cars in her name. Everything was in Frank's name. It would appear he was a very successful lawyer and she was a simple housewife."

"Maybe he targeted them for their opposite financial standing?" JJ wondered aloud.

"It would seem that way. Her net worth was only a third of his," Garcia finished.

"Thanks Garcia," Hotch replied. The technical analyst disconnected the call and the team went to work.

"A financial motive seems like a stretch for this guy, he has previously targeted couples with obvious social differences. And his last note alluded to homosexuality being a sin. So what changed?" Emily questioned.

"In a town this small the gay population is sparse and if he is sticking to his hunting ground this could have just been the only opportunity he had," Reid replied without making eye contact.

"I think we need to send you too back to the bar," Hotch concluded. "He obviously was pre-occupied tonight so your cover wasn't blown. If he's escalating as quickly as we expect then he'll be back on the prowl as soon as possible"

"I agree, I think we'll need to get back in there," JJ agreed looking to Emily. Emily blushed at the thought of a second fake date and nodded.

"Then it's settled. Same thing as tonight and hopefully we can catch this guy's attention," Hotch stated.

The team wrapped up and headed back to the hotel. Once in the car JJ smiled at Emily as she drove, "So a second date, eh Mrs Hartwell?"

"I guess so," Emily grinned. "Now don't think you can get fresh with me just because we're fake married."

"Oh, you're no fun!" JJ chuckled winking to her passenger. Emily blushed at the innuendo and smiled out the window as the finished the rest of the ride in silence. It was definitely becoming an interesting case.


	3. Chapter 3

The team arrived at the hotel a little past 4:00am, exhausted and looking forward to a few hours of sleep before they hit the ground running back on the case. The hotel was small but well kept, the tiny lobby had a hallway on either side which lead to the guest rooms. The receptionist was a man in his mid 50s who sat behind a large desk watching a re-run of 'I Love Lucy'. 

"Hello, I'm Agent Jareau with the FBI. I believe there should be rooms for me and my team already booked," she smiled. 

"Yes ma'am. I have four rooms all ready for you," the man replied typing at his computer.

"Four?" JJ asked gently, trying not to let her exhaustion lead to bad manners. 

"Yes ma'am, we only have 20 rooms. I told that nice woman on the phone I had four available and she said she'd take them. It's a busy weekend with the rodeo in town," he explained. 

"Of course it is," JJ muttered under her breath. "We will double up. Thank you for the rooms you do have."

"Anything for the FBI! Not too often we get a bunch of Federal Agents in town! You all are local celebrities, helping us end these terrible murders. It's a damn shame though, got everyone real scared," the man frowned and patted the 9mm on his belt, "Not that I'm scared. I reckon it'd take a pretty strong fella to get through old Bessie." 

_He named his gun, how quaint,_ JJ thought as she simply smiled and nodded. Last thing they needed was a vigilante with a gun going after anyone that spooked them. She really hoped they could wrap up this case in a hurry to save further lives and potentially even the unsub's. The man handed her the keys and she explained the situation to the team who shrugged it off and went their separate ways to their rooms. All the men had rooms on the north wing but JJ and Emily found their room down the south hallway. JJ decided it was coincidence but didn't put it past the small town's hotel to have separated them on purpose. It wouldn't be fit for two female agents to be in such close proximity with their male counterparts!

Emily pushed open the door and looked at the bleak room. The hotel desperately needed a make over but it was a room and she was grateful to have a place to sleep. A small bathroom equipped with the necessities, a TV, a dresser and a bed. A bed. _One bed_.  
JJ noticed it at the same time as Emily. She sat her bag down and took a place on the bed to pull off her shoes. 

"Well they weren't kidding about doubling up!" JJ laughed. Emily chuckled hesitantly as she mirrored JJ and sat down to slip her shoes off. 

"I could sleep in that arm chair if you want," Emily offered nodding towards the dilapidated arm chair near the corner of the room. 

"Oh god no, Em! It's a king sized bed and besides I don't bite! Besides I have to check on you every hour because of that concussion. This will make it easy to be sure you're still alive." 

"Yeah I guess," Emily shrugged trying to keep her mind from wandering on the two of them in the same bed. "I think I'm going to take a shower before going to sleep. That way you can have the bathroom in the morning before we head out."

"Great idea, I think I'm going to check on the boys and make sure their rooms aren't similar to ours. I can only imagine Rossi and Hotch forced to share a bed!" JJ laughed as the imagine popped into her head and picked up the phone. She dialed Hotch's room first and he answered on the first ring. She explained the mix-up and he confirmed his room was, in fact, a double. Although he didn't sound pleased that Rossi had already fallen asleep and was snoring quite loudly. JJ wished him goodnight and hung up. She picked up again and dialed Morgan and Reid's room. Morgan answered and the call seemed to have interrupted something rather humorous. 

"Derek?"

"Hey JJ! Want to hear a funny story?" he asked as he chuckled into the receiver. 

"Let me guess, you've only got one bed?" 

"Oh. How did you know?" he asked flatly, sad that she ruined the punchline to his joke. 

"Same here," she replied trying to keep her tone even so the boy genius wouldn't pick up on her actual excitement at the situation. 

"Well Reid is less than thrilled but its not a big deal. It beats trying to sleep at the precinct on those tiny bunks they keep for power naps. I'm sure we'll survive. But thanks for checking on us," Morgan concluded. 

"Yeah I guess it does, good night Morgan."

"Oh and JJ?" Derek added before hanging up. 

"Yes?"

"You two be good tonight. No hanky panky just because you're married now!" Derek laughed at the suggestion and hung up. 

JJ could feel her cheeks turn red as she placed the receiver back in the cradle and laid back on the bed. It wasn't like she had never thought about it. She and Emily. It just was something that seemed a little too far fetched to ever happen. Emily had always been the flirtatious type but it was nothing that she didn't do with Garcia or Morgan. No, there was no way anything more was rooted beneath Emily's playful banter. Of that, JJ was sure. Or was she? She thought back to earlier that night in the bar when Emily had casually kissed her. She knew it was to sell their ruse but she couldn't help but feel like perhaps, just perhaps, there had been a spark and that Emily had felt it too. She placed her fingers to her lips as her body filled with warmth at just the thought of Emily's lips on hers. Before totally succumbing to her day dream she got up and changed into her pajamas. She picked up her phone and shot Penelope a text that they had made it to the hotel before laying down and trying to rest. Just as she was shutting her eyes the bathroom door opened. She decided to play like she was sleeping as to not startle Emily in the dark. 

The bathroom lighting spilled into the otherwise darkened room and Emily came in to view wrapped in nothing but a short white towel. Her hair dripping wet leaving droplets on her shoulders that twinkled in the light. JJ watched intently with one eye cracked open as Emily checked to be sure JJ was asleep before dropping her towel to get dressed. JJ bit her lip to prevent a small gasp from escaping her mouth as she took in Emily's naked silhouette. She was stunning. She slipped on a pair of boy shorts and a t-shirt before reentering the bathroom to dry her hair and brush her teeth. JJ laid in bed and listened to her humming softly from the bathroom as she slowly drifted to sleep. 

JJ didn't even stir when Emily slipped into bed twenty minutes later. She smiled as she watched the blonde slumber, looking ever so peaceful. It was nice to see her getting some rest after such a long day, Emily hoped for the same. She laid down and shut her eyes wishing sleep would come quickly. Her wish must have been granted because the next thing she knew JJ was nudging her softly.

"Em, hourly wake up call," JJ whispered.

"I'm still breathing," Emily grunted without rolling over. JJ laughed and Emily felt her relax back into her side of the bed. They only had about 5 hours to sleep and with hourly wake ups, Emily was not going to be held responsible for her demeanor later that morning. Another while went by and Emily felt a familiar shake. 

"Emily?" this time JJ's voice was rushed and sounded slightly panicked. Emily jerked away suddenly being torn from her dream. 

"What is Jay?" 

"You were yelling in your sleep. Are you alright?" JJ asked a little more calmly. 

"Oh, I think I was just having a nightmare," Emily admitted. She had traumatic nightmares about her abduction rather frequently. She had spent endless nights without sleep while she was in France. It was not something she ever grew accustomed to. She could still hear his voice, feel the searing pain of the solder iron against her flesh and on really bad nights she'd still feel the gut wrenching pain of the stake being thrust through her stomach. "It was nothing," Emily lied as she stifled back tears. 

JJ instinctively wrapped her arm around Emily and pulled the brunette closer. She nuzzled the back of Emily's neck as Emily's body finally relaxed in her arms. "It's okay Em, I cannot even imagine what it's like."

"I hope you never have to," Emily whispered as tears slid silently down her face. JJ tightened her hold and moved her body to mirror Emily's successfully spooning her in a protective position. Emily felt the butterflies in her stomach as she felt JJ's body pressed against her back. 

"Get some sleep, Emily."

"You too," Emily whispered as she closed her eyes and finally slid off into the darkness. 

Emily barely stirred over the next few hours other than the mandatory life check. JJ got out of bed before her so she could shower and get ready. JJ stood at the edge of the bed and watched Emily sleeping soundly, discouraged that she'd have to wake her up soon if they were going to meet the rest of the team for breakfast before heading in to the station. JJ decided another five minutes wouldn't hurt and she went to finish getting ready. 

When she was done she came into the room and sat on Emily's side of the bed. She brushed the brunette's hair out of her face and smiled at her beautiful partner. She leaned in to kiss Emily's cheek right as Emily's brown eyes fluttered open. Stunned at her own action JJ jumped backwards off the bed. 

"Good morning," Emily yawned, seemingly unaware of JJ's previous intentions. 

"Morning, it's about time to get up sleepy head!" 

"Ugh, I feel like I just laid down," Emily whined as she swung her legs off the side of the bed and rubbed her eyes. It was the first time JJ had a chance to see the shirt Emily had worn to bed. She recognized it instantly. 

"Hey! Thief!" JJ accused as she pointed at the shirt in question. Emily looked down innocently and shrugged. 

"Is this yours?" 

"Yes! I've been looking everywhere for that! How long have you had it?" JJ asked as she continued to take in the view of Emily in her favorite worn out t-shirt. 

"I don't know about a month. You must have left it at my house when we had that girl's night. It's so comfortable I've been wearing it to sleep in," Emily laughed. She slipped the shirt over her head showing her bare breasts, "Here you can have it back."

JJ blushed at the sight of Emily topless but Emily didn't seem to be embarrassed in the least. That is, until she caught the lingering stare of baby blue eyes taking in every inch of her naked flesh. She had a ragged scar from where Ian Doyle had stabbed her with a plank of wood and an equally unattractive clover burned into her clavicle. She was suddenly very aware that no one else had ever seen her scars. She quickly pulled the shirt close and covered her chest the best she could, dropping her gaze to the floor. 

"Emily, it's alright," JJ reassured. She closed the distance between them and took Emily's chin in her hand as she forced the brunette to look into her eyes. "I think you're absolutely beautiful." 

Emily blushed and forced a smile as she entered the bathroom and closed the door behind her to get dressed. JJ sat on the bed with vivid images replaying through her head. She was going to have a tough time keeping her hands off of Emily when they were under cover at the bar later that


	4. Chapter 4

Twelve hours later JJ found herself a little buzzed as she stood on top of the bar about to be doused in ice water. JJ was beginning to rethink her participation in the sexist competition as she eyed Emily in the crowd, camera in hand. 

She wasn't alone in her hesitation one of her competitors was obviously being coaxed into participating by her rather drunk group of gal pals. Despite the fact there had been an onslaught of victims abducted from said location the bar was busy with patrons. The hotel receptionist had been correct in saying the town was alive for the local rodeo. It was apparently tradition to hold the skeavy wet t-shirt contest the night before the start of the rodeo, some sort of local good luck charm. JJ was convinced it was more a local tourist draw for a seedy bar int he middle of a podunk town.

Nevertheless she was there and the bartender from the night before was eyeing her from his seat at the end of the bar. She still didn't get a good vibe from the out of place tattooed man. The DJ announced a countdown and JJ didn't have a chance to even catch her breath before the needle sharp pain of ice water covered her head and dripped down her blouse. She hadn't planned on the night unfolded as it had and she was suddenly aware she was wearing a nearly sheer white blouse. At the last minute before entering the competition she had made one minor adjustment to her outfit in order to get the upper hand on her competition. As soon as the contestants were drenched it was clear why. 

The DJ asked the crowd to applaud for their favorite contestant starting with the brunette on the far side of the bar and working his way down to JJ. When he got to her she did a sassy turn and shook her assets as the crown erupted in applause. She won by a landslide. Her prize was a free bar tab for the rest of the evening. Unfortunately for her they were still on the job and she had already hit her limit. Nevertheless her ploy seemed to have worked as multiple men approached her as she made her way through the crowd and back to Emily. She wrapped the provided towel around her shoulders as she blushed looking at Emily's surprised reaction.

"Jesus Jay! Where the hell is your bra?" Emily asked as she adverted her eyes from the thin fabric that was clinigng to JJ's wet chest and pert nipples. JJ toweled her hair and pulled her bra out of her purse with a devilish grin. 

_"She's not wearing a bra!?"_ Derek asked over the comm. 

"Hotch said we had to be sure to catch the unsub's eye tonight..." JJ started. 

_"Not what I had in mind Agent Jareau!"_

"Well, assuming he's here I think that should have done the trick," JJ smiled and excused herself to the restroom to redress. She was very well aware of Emily's heavy gaze as the crowd parted ways to let her through. 

Upon returning JJ sat next to Emily and leaned in placing her lips close to the brunette's ear and whispered to be sure the rest of the team couldn't hear, "It's only fair don;t you think? I mean I already saw you naked today."

Emily bit her lip at the innuendo, JJ had a point. Emily was actually having a lovely time on their 'date' ignoring the fact that they were actually searching for a serial killer. She was really thinking the young detective had a point, perhaps she would have to ask JJ out on a proper date once they made their way back to DC. 

"So what do you think?" JJ asked. 

"I think you deserved to win because you were easily the most beautiful woman on that bar," Emily concluded. 

"Em, I meant about the unsub. Have you noticed anyone?" 

Emily turned scarlet when she realized what she had said. She shook her head and sipped at her beer. "I'm going to get some water, do you want something to drink since it's on the bar anyway?"

JJ knew she shouldn't seeing as she was already a bit buzzed but she agreed to another beer, as part of her act. Emily went to the bar and JJ watched the interaction from the table. 

Emily approached the surly bartender and nodded back at the blonde who waved to prove the drink was, in fact, her order. He didn't seem to pleased but he poured the beer and Emily smiled politely as she made her way back. 

"What about that guy? He hasn't taken his eyes off of you since we walked in," Emily stated as she nodded across the room at a man sitting at a table alone. 

"I don't know, he just doesn't give me the serial killer vibe," JJ sighed as she was beginning to think their operation was a total bust. They made their way to the dance floor as the continued to eye any suspicious characters. 

The time passed and the bar patrons started to dwindle after three hours with no obvious suspects Hotch finally decided to call it a night and called the charade off. Although their efforts seemed to prove fruitless Hotch erred on the side of caution and decided to send JJ and Emily to a safe house for the night in case the unsub had plans of following them home as he had done the Jacobsons. 

They loaded into their SUV and made their way to the outskirts of town to a small home which Penelope had programmed in the GPS while they were in the bar. It was past midnight as the parked in the driveway and although she wouldn't admit it, JJ was a bit drunk. 

Emily came to the passenger door and helped JJ out as they made their way up the drive and into the quaint dwelling. It was simple on the inside as most safe houses are, basic necessities to look as if it was being lived in. 

It wasn't much but it would have to do for their ruse. Emily mad ea pot of coffee as JJ showered and changed into an over-sized sweatshirt she had found in the closet. 

"That smells like exactly what I need," JJ said as she came into the kitchen. 

"Thought it may prevent a hangover," Emily chucked as she poured JJ a mug. 

"A hangover would imply I'm drunk!" 

"Are you trying to say you aren't?" Emily asked raising a suspicious eyebrow. 

JJ opened her mouth then closed it promptly realizing just how much her head was swimming. She simply nodded in agreement and sat down at the table gladly accepting her mug of coffee. 

"Well tonight was a total bust," JJ finally said breaking the comfortable silence. 

"I don't know maybe not," Emily grinned. "I basically got to see you topless."

"Wow, Em. Glad you;re keeping your head on the case."

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed the view," JJ winked in Emily's direction and delighted seeing the rose tint cross the brunette's cheeks. They chatted about the evening and finished a pot of coffee before deciding to try and sleep. Emily had purposely made decaf although she dared not tell JJ. JJ refused to drink decaf regularly, stating she may as well just drink water. 

Upon reaching the bedroom they both laughed seeing as there was, of course, one bed. 

"Well I guess the universe is trying to tell us something," JJ joked as she slipped into the bed and patted the other side with a sly smile. 

"It's fine, I should stay up and keep watch," Emily decided as she felt a familiar tingle deep within her abdomen. 

"Nonsense, the boys are keeping a watchful eye outside. Why don't you come lay down with me, Em?" 

Emily couldn't resist the way JJ used her nickname and the fact she was sporting a set of rather pouty eyes didn't help either. Emily agreed she needed sleep and laid down next to JJ on top of the covers fully clothed. 

"Really?" JJ asked.

"I don't have anything to change in to," Emily admitted.

"Em, just take off your jeans at least. They can't be comfortable. And get under the covers it's chilly," JJ insisted as she happily watched Emily roll her eyes before getting up and slipping out of her skin tight jeans. She slipped her bra off without taking off her shirt, as is the custom with women and finally slipped under the covers. Unlike the king size bed in the hotel room this was a standard and there wasn't much wiggle room between two grown adults. Emily reached over and flipped off the lamp, letting the ambient lighting from the street flicker into the window. 

"Goodnight Emily," JJ whispered drowsily. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. 

Emily's heart skipped a beat as she felt the weight of JJ's arm come to rest across her stomach. She could feel the blonde's breath on her shoulder as she gently whispered, "Night Jennifer"

For the second night in a row she was going to sleep snuggled impossibly close to the blonde and she wasn't one to complain. Emily wasn't quite sure why she was so comfortable when usually she would feel extremely suffocated in such close proximity to someone else while she slept. She had been so used to sleeping alone it had taken her nearly six months to get used to even Sergio sharing her bed, now she had JJ wrapped around her and everything felt unusually right. 

Emily jolted awake when she heard the unmistakable sound of glass breaking. She instinctively reached for her gun which she usually kept on top of her nightstand at home but found the nightstand empty. She nudged JJ quietly and placed her finger to her lips to make sure the blonde stayed silent. JJ's ears perked as she realized what was happening. 

Emily took out her phone and turned on the flashlight and sent their pre-arranged distress signal out the window in the direction of the team's surveillance van. She only hoped whomever was on shift could see the light and hadn't fallen asleep. Before she had time to think, the bedroom door swung open and JJ managed to get behind their supposed attacker and place him in a choke hold. 

He was larger than her but she had the element of surprise and the right angle. He frantically reached for her as Emily landed a swift knee to his groin, being unable to use her broken hand. He doubled over and managed to yelp, "Guys it's me!" 

"Morgan?" Emily asked into the darkness as she stumbled to the lamp and clicked it on. 

Morgan laid on the ground holding his crotch letting out a rather large groan. 

"What the hell?" Emily exclaimed. 

He held up his hand to communicate he couldn't quite make words just yet. Emily smiled at his obvious pain and JJ couldn't help but also laugh at the situation. 

"You scared the shit out of us!" she stated as he finally caught his breath. 

"I was checking on you guys! I heard glass break," he explained.

"I heard it too," Emily confirmed. 

"Well no one's int he house, except you and Chokehold McGee here," he stated rubbing his sore throat.

"Sorry Derek," JJ laughed. "But I mean at least I didn't knee you in the junk!"

Emily blushed and rolled her eyes. The two women laughed at their friend;s expense for a second before he looked from one to another and a perplexed look crossed his face. 

"What?" Emily asked trying to decipher his thoughts. 

"Why aren't either of you wearing pants?" he smiled as he winked at Emily. 

"Damnit Derek! Get your head out of the gutter!" JJ laughed and threw a pillow at him jokingly although she was very aware of what it looked like. One bed, neither of the women wearing much clothing after a night out at the bar. It did seem suggestive. 

"Look, this whole charade obviously hasn't been helpful. Why don;t we all just go back to the hotel and come up with a new plan tomorrow. There has to be someone at the bar who has seen something helpful," Emily decided.

"Agreed," Derek said. "We could all use some sleep. I'm going to call Hotch and let him know while you two get dressed." 

He left the room and Emily slipped into her pants as JJ changed back into her outfit. Minutes later they joined Derek and Reid in the kitchen. Reid was holding the remains of a beer bottle which appeared to be the culprit of the noise everyone had heard. 

"Found this outside, someone must have thrown it out of a car and it smashed into the side of the house." 

"Nice to see you too, Reid," Emily said softly. They had barely spoken since the day before and he apparently was still giving her the silent treatment. 

"Alright, Hotch said we should just pack it up and call it a night. We'll all go back tot he hotel and regroup in the morning with local PD. We're going to rerun the backgrounds of everyone who works at the bar and go from there, it's not much but it;s more than we've got now," Derek explained. 

The women agreed and they locked up the house and headed towards their separate vehicles. JJ insisted on driving seeing as it was rather difficult with Emily's hand in a cast. Emily didn't argue and took her place in the passenger seat. 

"I'm beginning to feel like we're never going to catch this asshole," Emily sighed as she gazed out the window. 

"We'll catch him, Emily. We always do," JJ reassured as she reached over and patted the brunette's thigh. "And I would be lying if I said I haven't enjoyed our time together. I could get used to this, you know." 

Emily looked at her with questioning eyes.

"Us, Emily," JJ whispered to clarify. "I could get used to _us_ "


	5. Chapter 5

"Emily? Did you hear me?"

JJ's voice sounded distant as if she were miles away instead of in the driver's seat of the SUV. Emily's head was suddenly swimming, pounding with pressure and she winced in pain. She had waited so long to have this conversation with JJ, the conversation when they would finally lay their feelings out on the table and be honest with each other. 

"Jayje?" Emily whispered as her vision began spinning. She blinked in confusion as the images of JJ, of the SUV, of everything around her melted away and gave way to a bright light. She cried out in agony as the pressure in her head built and the light flooding her eyes overwhelmed her. 

"Emily, I'm right here," came the blonde's calming voice. Emily felt a hand on hers but the room was too bright to focus.

Emily closed her eyes and took a deep breath before using all her strength to open them again. She was staring into florescent lights and a white ceiling. Her mouth was dry and she heard the robotic beep of a heart monitor. 

"What...." Emily trailed off finding it hard to speak. 

"That asshole slammed your face into a table, you've been out for two days." JJ answered, knowing what Emily had been trying to ask. 

"Two days?" 

"Yeah, we got him though. Ryan Gentry is one sick fuck. We found all the evidence we need at his house," JJ explained as she gently caressed Emily's hand. 

"Gentry? But what about the other victims?" Emily questioned

"What other victims? Em, we took him down in the bar. Don't you remember? He came at you with a knife!" 

Emily was suddenly realizing what had happened. She had been knocked unconscious at the bar and had been lying in a hospital bed for the past two days. Everything else, the hotel, the second night at the bar, the house, none of it had happened. 

"Oh doctor Barner! She's awake!" JJ announced as the young woman entered the room. 

"Barner?" Emily asked as she looked up at the doctor. 

"Hello, Agent Prentiss. That was some concussion you suffered. Don't worry, Agent Jareau hasn't left your side for even a moment." the doctor smiled kindly as JJ blushed a little.

"But I remember everything so clearly. There were two more victims and we went back to the bar and the hotel only had one bed," Emily rambled as she tried to piece everything together. 

"One bed, huh?" Morgan quipped as he entered the room. "Welcome back, Princess."

"It's common for head trauma patients to have vivid dreams when they're unconscious. Sometimes the brain doesn't realize it has been injured so it goes on to continue the story line of whatever was happening, in your situation it sounds like you were still working the case," Dr Barner explained as she took notes in Emily's chart. 

"Sounds about right. Still working away even in a coma," JJ laughed, winking in Emily's direction. 

"Well all your tests look normal, I'd like to get one last MRI to monitor the swelling but you should be able to go home tomorrow. For now, I think you should just rest."

"Thank Doc," Derek shook the doctor's hand before she left the three agents alone. 

"We really got the guy?" Emily winced as she tried to sit up. Derek leaned in and helped support her so she could get more comfortable. 

"Yep, thanks to you two and your mad undercover skills," he laughed.

"Well I guess we'll let you rest," JJ offered as she stood up, motioning towards the door. 

"Actually, I don't mind the company." Emily whispered shyly. Her head going over the final moments of her dream, wanting so terribly to tell JJ everything that had happened. 

Taking the hint Derek kissed Emily on the forehead and headed towards the door, "I'll go pick up some lunch and call Hotch to let him know you're awake."

"Thanks, Derek," Emily replied as he made his exit. 

"The rest of the team is already back in DC but Morgan wouldn't leave until he knew you were out of the woods," JJ said softly. 

"And apparently neither would you"

"Well, I am your wife after all!" 

Emily chuckled, the doctor had administered pain medication and it was beginning to swim through her veins, lessening the pressure. She relaxed into the sensation and fought the urge to close her eyes again. 

"Em, I was so worried," JJ whipsered as she brushed Emily's hair out of her eyes. The corner of her baby blue eyes welled with tears.

"Tis' merely a flesh wound!" Emily replied in her best Monty Python voice. It was just enough to break the seriousness in JJ's eyes and a small grin slipped across her face.

"I'm just glad you're okay," JJ wiped a tear and paused looking into deep brown eyes. "So, tell me about your dream. What's this about a bed?"

Emily blushed suddenly realizing everything she had imagined. From the cuddling at the hotel to the wet t-shirt contest. It had all been part of her subconscious trying to tell her, what exactly? She had even imagined Detective Barner. She must have heard the name in and out and it made it's way to her dream. It had been two of the best days she could recall and it turned out none of it had even happened. 

"It was nothing, really," Emily looked away as she felt the warmth cross her cheeks. _Nothing_ she thought back to how good it had felt to have JJ's arms wrapped so tightly around her body when she was having nightmares. How calming and easy their conversations had been. She thought of their flirtation at the bar and how the "Detective" had urged her to make a move. She should have guessed it was all her imagination when everything seemed to be going so well. 

"Well whatever was going on in that head of yours it seemed to be pleasant, you were smiling in your sleep." 

"Despite being concussed, I suppose it was," Emily admitted. "You really didn't need to stay here the whole time. You must be exhausted by now. I can't imagine that couch is very comfortable."

JJ stretched her back and yawned, suddenly realizing how tired she really was. The adrenaline and worry was giving way to sheer exhaustion and it was a losing battle. Emily scooted over int he bed and patted the area next to her. JJ nodded and climbed into the small space, laying her head on the pillow next to Emily's.

"Get some rest, Jen."

JJ nodded and shut her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately. Emily watched her drift off and smiled slightly. JJ was so beautiful even after days of being cooped up in the hospital. Emily sighed as she looked down at her best friend, her head was full of doubt but her heart was fluttering. 

"Yeah, I could get used to this too." she whispered as she closed her eyes and fell back asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Emily sat in her seat staring out the window as the jet slid through the night. JJ had her nose buried in a new case file and Morgan had passed out as soon as they had boarded. Emily let out a deep sigh as she pulled out her headphones, deciding she would try and rest after such an odd few days. 

She had wanted to tell JJ about what had happened but was struggling to wrap her mind around it all. Emily had never been much of a romantic, she had never pined over someone before and was usually the last to realize when someone was coming on to her. Most people thought she was emotionally unavailable or distant but the fact of the matter was, Emily Prentiss was simply asexual. She had never understood the draw of sexual relationships. When she was a teenager she had given into pressure from her boyfriend and had ended up pregnant at age fifteen. She never told anyone about the pregnancy except for her best friend who had gone with her when she sought an abortion. Ever since that experience sex had been tainted in her mind. She had always been goal and career driven and her moving around as a child didn't lend much to social relationships. She was used to being alone and over time she ruled out the idea of a sexual relationship all together. She felt emotionally vulnerable in relationships and had always felt like she was destined to just be happily independent. It had suited her well thus far. Yet now, Emily felt a sudden stirring deep in the pit of her stomach that she wasn't entirely sure how to deal with. Something about Jennifer Jareau lit a passion inside that Emily wasn't sure how to deal with. 

She had never seen a reason to "come out" to the team about her sexuality, because frankly it was none of their business. Over the years there had been plenty of times when team members had tried to set her up on blind dates but she was a pro at getting out of uncomfortable situations. She kept her personal life separate from her work life the best she could but suddenly her two worlds were colliding. She wasn't entirely sure how long she had felt this way about JJ but after her head trauma it was something she could no longer ignore. Emily had good intentions to be honest but she cringed at the follow up of her confession. Coming clean about her feelings meant having to come clean about the fact she wasn't entirely sure how she even felt about them. It was all so perplexing to the usually stoic agent. 

"Emily?" 

Emily's thoughts were interrupted at the sound of her name coming from across the table. She looked up and slid her headphones out of her ears as she smiled at the beautiful blonde staring at her. 

"Yeah Jay?" 

"I just," JJ broke eye contact and fumbled with the file in her lap, "I just wanted to make sure you're okay."

"I'm fine," Emily chuckled. JJ had been over protective, frequently asking about her well being ever since Emily woke up in the hospital. Emily thought it was adorable how worried JJ was, when Emily had taken much worse damage in the past with less concern. Something about this case had JJ on edge but Emily didn't mind. There was a pause and JJ forced a small smile as if she wasn't entirely sure she believed the answer. 

"Emily?"

"Yeah?"

"What was it like?" JJ asked, letting her voice trail off at the end of the question. 

"It felt so real. I mean in my head we never missed a beat, to me I lived those two days and to wake up and find out everything had been a dream is really unnerving. It's eerie, you know?"

"I can't imagine," JJ admitted. She wanted so terribly to ask Emily about what she dreamed about but she wasn't sure how to form the question without seeming like she was prying. Emily apparently read the confusion on JJ's face as she chuckled and rolled her yees, knowing she would eventually tell JJ everything might as well do it sooner rather than later. 

"JJ, it all felt so real. It was just a continuation of that night in the bar. I mean you were there and we were... well I mean the whole team was there, of course. But you and I, we had...I mean, there was something...it just felt so real."

"You would mumble in your sleep, while you were out. I didn't know what you were saying but there were times I swore I heard my name," JJ looked into soulful brown eyes, searching for confirmation of what she had thought she had heard. 

"Like I said, you were a major part of what was going on," Emily answered shyly. "I just mean we were undercover, obviously, you were part of it."

"Yeah, obviously," JJ repeated, wanting so desperately to ask for further details. 

Another moment of silence and Emily looked out her window before finally adding, "It was nice though."

JJ tried to hide her smile and failed miserably. She had spent every moment next to Emily's hospital bed, praying that Emily would come out relatively unscathed. She had spent hours holding Emily's hand and talking to the brunette softly, unsure if Emily could hear anything or not. Still, the doctor had mentioned it helped sometimes so JJ had been willing to try. Now she was desperately trying to figure out if Emily had, in fact, heard any of her words. She had been blatantly honest about her feelings for the brunette and was now uncertain on how to proceed. It wasn't exactly easy for her to ask out right if Emily had any recollection of JJ spilling her secrets. Now they found themselves in an awkward purgatory between reality and fiction and neither knew how to admit their emotions. 

"I was so worried about you," JJ replied. "I wasn't sure if you'd come back to me.... us! Us. Wasn't sure if you'd come back to _us_ "

"JJ, it's going to take a lot more than a bad concussion to take me out," Emily laughed, thinking about all of the damage she had taken in the field. 

"I'm being serious, Em," JJ scoffed. She watched as Emily shifted in her seat at the seriousness in JJ's voice. 

"Well, like I said, I'm fine now."

JJ was tired of beating around the bush and she decided to just come out and say what they both had been dancing around, "Emily, would you maybe have dinner with me when we get home?"

Emily stopped chewing at her cuticles and looked at the blonde, "What?"

It was JJ's turn to shift under the brunette's gaze. "I mean, if you want. I just thought, maybe, if you're free Friday...."

"Jennifer, I'd love to." 

"Oh," JJ paused, blinking a few times trying to comprehend Emily's answer. "Really?"

"Jayje, I would love to have dinner with you."

They smiled at each other, both unable to hide their excitement at the sudden turn of events. Emily was still feeling a bit vulnerable about her newly discovered feelings for her best friend but she had decided after her recent brush with death that life was too short to let good opportunities pass her by. She wasn't sure how things would unfold with JJ but she was willing to explore the possibilities. Meanwhile, JJ too was feeling a bit nervous. It had taken a minor disaster for her to realize how much Emily meant to her and she had no intentions of letting the brunette escape her grasp easily. 

"What are you two grinning about?" Derek asked as he sat down next to Emily. 

"None of your business!" Emily joked as she winked in JJ's direction. 

"Wow, sassy as always! Guess you are feeling better," Derek grinned. "Now are you going to tell us about your wondrous trip to Oz or just going to keep us guessing?"

"Nothing happened, I mean there was one point that was really hot. The hotel we had booked only had three rooms so we all had to share and well, you and I shared a room," Emily leaned in closely to Derek's ear and lowered her voice, "And turned out there was only one bed...."

"WHAT!" JJ exclaimed, unable to hide her jealousy. 

"Oh really, tell me more about this predicament," Derek cooed into Emily's ear, unaware the of JJ's outburst. 

Emily burst into laughter until she couldn't breathe. "Oh my god, I had you going!"

"Hey! That's not funny!" Derek grunted as he rummaged in his pocket, "Oh look I found something for you" He pulled his hand out and shot her the finger as the three of them burst into laughter. 

"No, the dream was just working the case. It was so bizarre."

"Well I'm glad you're back now, I missed you." Derek said as he placed a chaste kiss on Emily's forehead. "I think we're getting ready to land. I'm going to get my stuff together." He playfully shoved Emily's arm as he got up to go back to his seat across the plane. 

Once Derek was out of ear shot Emily leaned across the table and smiled, "It was actually you."

"What?" JJ asked raising an eyebrow in confusion. 

"In the bed with me, it was you." Emily winked as she got up and followed Derek to the front of the plane. 

JJ sat in her chair, mouth gaping open at the thought of sharing a bed with Emily. Was this actually happening to her? Had she actually asked Emily on a proper date and Emily had agreed? It was a lot to take in but the blonde was pleased at the outcome. What had started out as a terrible situation had turned into something promising and JJ was excited to see where things would lead. She settled back into her chair and shoved her files into her bag as the fasten seat belt sign came on and their pilot came over the intercom to announce their decent into DC.


	7. Chapter 7

Saturday rolled around and it was all Emily could do not to get ready three hours early for her big date with JJ. She was still a little concussed and had spent most of the day lazily in bed but as 8:00pm neared she found herself more and more excited. She picked up a book to distract her from the anticipation, unfortunately her plan backfired and soon she was running behind. She rushed to shower and do her hair before facing her closet with a perplexed look on her face. She hadn't been on many first dates and the few she had turned out to be huge disasters once she told her date about being asexual. She frowned at the idea that JJ could run for the hills like many before her. She decided on a short black dress that hit a little high up her thigh but she was confident it showed jsut enough leg without being provocative. 

Before she knew it JJ was ringing the doorbell. She gave herself a final once over in the mirror before answering the door. She opened it and her heart fluttered at the sight of the beautiful blonde in a blue dress that made her dazzling eyes shine. 

"You look stunning, Jayje," Emily admitted as she blushed, realizing her gaze had lingered a bit too long.

"You're in a dress!" JJ replied.

"Yes? Is it okay?"

"You look beautiful," JJ smiled warmly. She leaned in and planted a quick peck on Emily's cheek to reassure her. "Shall we go?"

The plan was dinner and a movie, typical date but JJ didn't want to get too crazy for their first night out together. She thought it would be nice to catch up over dinner then may a little cuddle time in the darkness of the movie theater. While at dinner JJ couldn't help but stare at how classically beautiful Emily was. With her hair pinned back and the dress that fit just right, she looked like a model. Dinner went splendidly, the two talked about everything under the sun while making doe eyes at each other from across the table. When dessert arrived Emily decided it was time to have a difficult conversation she had been dreading all evening. 

"Hey Jayje, there's something I want to talk to you about," Emily confessed. JJ nodded between bites of cheesecake. "You see, the thing is, I'm...well, there's no easy way to put this...I'm asexual." Emily paused and waited for the reaction she was so used to but instead of JJ looking appalled she simply furrowed her brow a bit. 

"Okay? So what?" JJ replied.

"I mean that, I really like you and I'm glad we're trying out this dating thing. But I'm not going to have sex with you...." Emily trailed off again waiting for the repulsion she was used to coming after this sentiment. 

"Emily, I really like you too. If sex isn't your thing, than it isn't your thing. I don't know much about asexuality so please excuse me in advance if I ask stupid questions. The most important thing is for you to feel comfortable in whatever this is, or will be. I'm happy to learn with you," JJ smiled and took Emily's hand. "I'm glad you're being honest with me, Em."

Emily sat there stunned. She was so used to her dates fleeing the scene as soon as she came out to them but JJ was different. JJ wanted to learn and make compromises no one ever had before. She was willing to do whatever it took to make Emily feel comfortable in a relationship and it was a new and welcomed experience. Emily sighed happily, now that her secret was off her chest. 

"Jennifer, you really are amazing."

"I know!" JJ laughed. 

The check came and JJ paid the tab after a minor fight about who asked whom on the date to begin with. They made their way to JJ's car and JJ looked at Emily a bit perplexed. 

"Can I hold your hand?" JJ asked not sure exactly what she could and couldn't do after Emily's confession. Emily chuckled and nodded, taking JJ's hand in hers and intertwining their fingers. 

"Just because I don't get sexually aroused like most people doesn't mean I'm not entirely attracted to you," Emily reminded kindly. 

"I just wanted to be sure," JJ blushed, realizing her asking of permission had been unnecessary. They remained hand in hand all the way to the movie theater, Emily smiling happily at the way JJ's hand felt in hers. It was the perfect fit.

They arrived at the theater to find the movie they had planned to see was sold out. JJ immediately cursed herself under her breath for not buying tickets in advance. She was sure the unexpected obstacle would put a damper on the evening but Emily had other plans. Instead of seeing a movie Emily suggested they go to the park and do a bit of stargazing. JJ couldn't say no to such a romantic gesture. 

The park was dimly lit by street lamps but there was a large open space where the light didn't touch, perfect for staring at the night sky. JJ grabbed a blanket out of the trunk of her car and they set up on the grassy knoll. The breeze made it a bit chilly but nothing too uncomfortable. 

Emily sat down next to the blonde and smiled, "You look so beautiful in the moonlight."

"You're such a charmer, Em," JJ joked. 

They sat on the blanket in happy silence, enjoying each other's company. JJ laid down and Emily propped herself up on her elbow staring at the stunning woman in front of her. She asked herself how she had gotten so lucky and smiled. JJ must have been thinking something along the same lines because she smiled back happily.

"Thank you for talking to me at dinner," JJ whispered.

"Thank you for not running for the hills," Emily replied. 

"Why would anyone run for the hills from you?" JJ asked in total shock at the idea. 

"You'd be surprised," Emily shrugged. She didn't want to think of the women that had come before JJ who had not understood or who had asked her to compromise her sexuality to suit theirs. She didn't want to think of all of the times she had been pressured into sex and had been miserable the entire time. She just wanted to enjoy JJ's company and feel comfortable in knowing this was something new. Something exciting that she had never had before. 

They laid together talking about everything and nothing at all. Emily made a mental note of how easy it was to talk to JJ and how she genuinely listened. She tried to commit the moment to memory, everything about it was perfect. The way JJ's hair fell in her face, the way her hand felt in Emily's the way the air was crisp and cool. She never wanted to forget the moments of their first date and hoped so desperately it would not be their last. 

The hours passed and soon it was nearing midnight. The temperature was dropping and JJ felt a shudder run through her as she curled closer to the brunette. Emily wrapped her arms around the petite blonde and brought her closer in. Their eyes met and so many words passed between them. Emily made the first move, she leaned in and closed the space between them. Their lips met in the briefest exchange before she pulled back. JJ grinned from ear to ear, placing her hands on either side of Emily's face she pulled her in for a longer, passionate kiss. It was if the world melted away and it was only the two of them in that moment. Their embrace was interrupted by a blinding light as they turned to see two police officers shining flashlights at them. 

"Ladies, this park closes after dark," the officer stated. 

"Yes officer, we were just leaving," Emily said embarrassed they had been caught in a passionate kiss like a couple of teenagers out past curfew. 

"Do you have ID," the female officer asked. 

JJ smiled politely as she reached in her purse and pulled out her badge. 

"Oh," the officer replied. "Well you two best get a move on. Have a good night." And with that the two officers made their way back to their patrol car, still watching the couple to make sure they did, in fact, leave the park. 

Emily and JJ laughed like school girls as they loaded up the car. "I cannot believe we just got caught by the police," JJ grinned. 

"I cannot believe you showed him your badge."

"She asked for ID!" 

"You could have showed a driver's license no need to piss on their parade," Emily laughed. 

JJ drove Emily home and they sat outside of her apartment building in silence, wandering who would be the first to say good night. Emily took JJ's hand and kissed it softly. She leaned over and kissed JJ on the lips one last time before opening her door to leave. 

"I had an amazing night," Emily confessed. 

"I did too, we should perhaps make a habit of this?" JJ asked hopefully. 

"Absolutely. I'll see you at work tomorrow. Good night, Jennifer."

"Good night Emily." 

JJ watched to make sure Emily made it in safely before pulling away. She still felt Emily's soft lips on hers and pressed her finger against her lips thoughtfully as she smiled and drove home. She had not had a night as perfect as that in a long time and she looked forward to exploring this new relationship with Emily. She was still blissfully smiling when she got home and received a text from the brunette. 

"Thanks again, you are awe-inspiring. xoxo"

JJ smiled and replied happily before getting into bed and drifting off into the most pleasant of dreams.


	8. Chapter 8

A week and a half had passed since their first date and it was Emily's turn to show JJ just how romantic she could be. Unfortunately, Emily wasn't very good at the whole date planning thing so she sought advice from the only person she could think of as an expert on dating. 

"Derek, I need your help," Emily admitted. 

"Princess? Asking me for dating advice?" 

"After such a perfect first date I need help to make the second just as memorable."

"What about the botanical garden? They have a Christmas light show every night."

"Derek! You're a genius! It's supposed to be nice weather this weekend I think a stroll through the gardens would be amazing!" 

She hugged Derek for the idea and immediately got to work, pulling up the website on her computer. She was so engrossed in her planning she nearly spoiled the surprise as a certain blonde walked up behind her. 

"Whatchya looking at?" JJ asked suspiciously as Emily closed her laptop quickly.

"It's nothing. Just looking at some emails," Emily lied as she tried to change the subject. "So, Agent Jareau, are you free this Saturday?"

JJ smiled, she had begun to think Emily wasn't going to ask her on a second date. "I am, as long as you're asking me out, Agent Prentiss."

"Oh god, just get a room you two!" Garcia laughed as she made her way to the bullpen. 

Emily and JJ blushed at the implication. Despite their first date the sexual tension between them had been building since their time in Alabama and it was getting to a point neither of them could deny. It had almost gotten in the way of their most recent case as they found themselves spending more and more time alone together. The tension was nearly palpable and Emily was unsure of how to relieve the stress. She knew for sure she was attracted to JJ but she wasn't sure what to do with the rising tide between them. Emily had rarely made it to a second date with most of her past suitors after explaining her sexuality. Yet, JJ didn't seem to mind. Despite the obvious fire between them, JJ was in no way pressuring Emily into anything and for that the brunette was grateful.

"We've got a case, love birds," Garcia explained as she passed around file folders to the team. 

"Another?" Derek asked.

"Serial killers don't sleep and neither will the brave warriors of the BAU!" Garcia exclaimed as they all made their way to the round table room. 

"Well, as long as we're back by Saturday...right Emily?" JJ shot the brunette a wink as Emily blushed. 

"Great, we're all here, let's get started," Hotch began as he pulled up the case files on the overhead projector. They reviewed the case, two women in Boulder, Colorado had been uncovered in shallow graves in the Rockies. With the most recent victim's time of death placed only weeks before, the team would need to work fast to prevent another murder in the small college town. "Wheels up in 40" Hotch concluded. 

The team gathered their belongings and go-bags and made their way to the jet. An hour later they were in the air, discussing case details. 

"Both victims were blonde, females 5'6" and petite," Spencer noted. The team all took a minute to rest their eyes on JJ who seemed to be unphased by the victimology. "The fact that he strangled the victims and buried them in shallow graves would usually indicate the unsub has little regard for his victims. However, look at the appearance of the most recent victim. Her hair is done, she has a manicure and lipstick on. This indicates he is dressing them up in some sort of ritual maybe before killing them."

"Heather Lowry and Jessica Tunnel, both students at CU Boulder. Both reported missing. Heather, a junior, was last seen on campus, three months ago. Jessica, a senior, went missing after a soccer game only one month ago. This unsub probably has ties to the university and we can't rule anyone out as a suspect," Emily pointed out. 

"Look at the way the victims are positioned, he took the time to make sure they look presentable, wrapping them in a blanket before burying them. This guy is going to be dangerous and if he's already taken two women, we're working against the clock," Derek added.

"We're going to have to get ahead on this one. JJ, Emily, you two go to the dump site. Reid, you and Morgan, go to interview the victims' families. Rossi and I will talk to local PD. This is going to a tough case but hopefully we can wrap this up before anyone else gets hurt," Hotch concluded.   
___________________________________________________

By the time JJ and Emily arrived at the crime scene with local PD another two bodies had been discovered near to the original dump site. The coroner place time of death at 6 months and a year, respectively. Each matching the victomology, blonde with blue eyes. Both presented in well manicured appearances despite decomposition. 

"Do we have IDs on these two yet?" Emily asked as she hiked into the forest to the dump site. 

"Emma Hogan and Juliet Rogers," the police man read from his notepad. 

"Students?" JJ inquired. 

"Yes ma'am. Emma was a 20 year old sophomore, missing for six months. And Juliet was a 19 year old freshman, missing over a year."

"The earlier victims were younger, maybe he was working his way up to his most recent kill," Emily noted. 

They followed the police into the woods and found the dump site about a mile in. Hikers had come across one of the bodies after a recent rain storm had cleared away enough dirt to reveal a hand protruding from the earth. Local crime scene investigators had made good time in digging out the body and police dogs had located the other graves. The graves were scattered over a quarter mile radius all with the same distinctive burial ritual. Each victim was wrapped in a blanket before being buried. Each of the victims made up before death.

"We haven't seen homicides like this in Boulder," Officer Thomas explained as he covered his nose from the smell, trying hard not to get too close to the graves. "Last thing we need is another scandal on our hands. The last one nearly ruined our small town way of life."

"1996, right? Jonbenet Ramsey?" Emily asked. 

"That's right ma'am. It's a damn shame what happened to that little girl. This year marks the sixteen year anniversary."

"Thanks Officer, I think we've seen what we need. I'd like to be out of these woods before dark," JJ replied. She had always had a thing about the woods and she didn't fancy being stuck in the middle of the wilderness once the sun went down with a killer on the loose. 

The officer drove Emily and JJ back to the precinct where they met up with Hotch and Rossi. The four poured over case files including information about the two most recent finds from the grave site while awaiting Reid and Morgan's return. Once the team was reunited they began to build a profile of what they knew so far. 

"Wait, didn't you say Jessica Tunnel went missing after a soccer game?" JJ asked Reid. Reid nodded to confirm. "Look, I don't know about the rest of these women but when I played soccer there was no way in hell I would have manicured nails. They would chip too easily, it just wasn't worth it."

"We also noted that the third victim, Emma Hogan, was not a natural blonde. As a matter of fact her mother was under the impression she had never dyed her hair." Morgan added.

"The Medical Examiner noted that Heather Lowry was wearing blue contacts when she was killed," Reid noted as he skimmed through a file.

"So what do we think? This guy is dying their hair and primping them up? For what?" Emily asked. 

"The victims age range is what has me confused. Victims ascending in age as time passes? It's as if he is trying to create the perfect woman as they age," Rossi mentioned as he combed through a case file. 

"JJ, what did that Officer say about Jonbenet?" Emily realized suddenly. 

"He said this year is the sixteen year anniversary," JJ looked at Emily without understanding the significance at first. When suddenly it clicked, "Oh god. Jonbenet would have been 22 this year."

"He's trying to make a modern day beauty queen," Hotch concluded. The team sat back and processed this new bit of information. "I think we're ready to give the profile."

The team gathered with the LEO's to go over what they had found. "We're looking for a white male, in his early 40s, he would have extensive knowledge about the Ramsey case in '96. He could be linked in some way, we won't rule out media personnel at the time or those that were close to the family. Something triggered him to start killing a year ago, we think the fifteenth anniversary and the media attention was what sparked this guy." Hotch explained. 

"We're looking for someone with both ties to the Ramsey case and the University of Boulder," Emily stated. "This unsub probably has minor priors such as stalking or breaking and entering. Nothing too violent or he wouldn't have passed a background check to work around students."

"This unsub is unique seeing as, other than age, he doesn't have a preference in women. Emma Hogan's hair was dyed blonde so he knows he can alter his victims' appearance to suit his needs," Reid chimed in. 

"Christmas marks the 16th anniversary of the Jonbenet case and we think he'll escalate quickly," JJ added. "Women who are staying around the campus for the holiday should be warned about this potential danger and shouldn't be alone after dark."

Hotch concluded the meeting and went to speak with the officer in charge of the case. The rest of the team went their separate ways to work on how they would catch the unsub, leaving Emily and Reid alone in the room. It had been two weeks and Reid was still giving Emily the cold shoulder since Alabama. 

"Reid, we _have_ to talk about this. We can't keep going on avoiding each other. I've told you I'm sorry, I don't know what else to say. I've done my best to prove to you that my loyalties lie with this team. You guys are my family, I need us to be able to work together again," Emily begged. "I miss you."

Reid sighed and sat down heavily in a nearby chair. "Yeah, I miss you too but I'm still hurt. I thought you were dead, Emily. I went to JJ's house for ten weeks, crying on her sofa because I thought I'd never get the chance to tell you..." Reid trailed off as he realized Emily truly had no idea how he felt about her.

"Tell me what?" she asked as she sat down next to him. "Reid, you can tell me anything. You're like my little brother, I know I hurt your trust in me but please let me try and earn it back."

"That's just the thing," Reid said as he let out a heavy sigh, "You think of me as a kid. You always have."

"Reid, I didn't mean it like that," Emily stated as she tried to recover. "I just mean I've always felt close to you and I don't want us to have secrets anymore. You can tell me anything."

"It's nothing," Reid lied. "If I say I forgive you can we just forget about this and focus on the case?"

"Do you? Forgive me?"

"Yes, Emily. I forgive you," Reid said flatly as he got up and left the room. 

Emily sat alone, perplexed. What could Reid possibly be hiding from her? Derek passed Reid in the hallway and swore he saw the young man crying. Derek came in and took one look at Emily and put two and two together. 

"He finally told you?" Derek asked. 

"Told me what?" Emily asked, still confused as to what the hell was going on. 

"You really are oblivious, aren't you?" Derek questioned. "Emily, the reason Reid has been so hard on you is because he loves you. The boy is _in_ love with you and he thought you died!" 

"What?" Emily replied, raising an eyebrow to try and monitor if Derek was lying. 

"He thought he missed his chance to tell you. Then you suddenly come back from the dead and just when he was getting ready to work up the courage, you start dating JJ. He's heart broken, Emily. Give him a break."

Emily sat with her mouth gaping open, "I just...I never knew. I mean, he never... Shit Derek. How do I fix this?"

"Give it time," Derek said. "He'll recover. Just let him do it in his own way. And don't you dare tell him I said anything!" 

Emily crossed her heart with her hand and smiled. How could she be such an astute profiler and have absolutely _no_ idea that Reid was in love with her? How long had he felt that way? This had obviously been going on since before she had gone to Paris, what else had she missed? She felt overwhelmed by the sudden realization that perhaps she had damaged her relationships with the team further than she had imagined. Emily knew she had to put her personal drama aside for the time being, there was a serial killer on the loose and she needed to be at the top of her game to help the team bring him in. 

She opened a case file and went to work, pushing Reid out of her mind. They had a week and a half before the anniversary of Jonbenet Ramsey which meant they were in a race against time. Emily had a bad feeling about this case and wanted to get an arrest as soon as possible.


	9. Chapter 9

After tireless days of running leads and background checks the team had narrowed down their suspect pool to three possibles. A professor of journalism, Howard Yates, who had interned at the Denver Post during the Ramsey case. The leading detective on the Ramsey case, Steve Thomas, who had also written a book implicating that Patsy Ramsey had murdered her own daughter. After the book had been released in 2000, John Bennett and Patsy had gotten a restraining order to prevent further defamation of the family name from Thomas. The final suspect, Christopher Franklin, was a current resident of Boulder who worked for John Bennett at the time of the murder in 1996. 

"I like Steve Thomas for this," Derek said as he pointed to Thomas' picture on the evidence board. "He literally, wrote the book about Jonbenet. He may be reliving the case by killing new victims to draw attention back to the original murder. We should bring him in for an interview."

"We'll talk to all three," Hotch reminded. "Derek and I will interview Thomas. He lives about an hour outside of the city. Rossi will go talk to Franklin. And JJ, you and Reid head to the campus to interview Howard Yates."

"What about me?" Emily asked.

"I want someone to stay here and stay on top of the tip line. The medical examiner should have the final report on Jessica Tunnel today, I want you here to go over it when it arrives."

Emily nodded. The team split up and headed out to the parking lot while Emily dove head first into the bountiful case files spread across the table. 

As they had nearly reached the SUV Reid turned to JJ, "Hey do you mind if I stay here? I could go over that M.E. report a lot faster than Emily can. I think I'd be more help at the station. I can send Emily with you, if you want."

"No, you're right, you'll be able to read it a lot quicker," JJ replied. "I'm fine. The two of you should review what we have and talk to Garcia for any other information she's dug up."

Reid frowned, he meant for him to stay behind, _alone_. Last thing he wanted was to have to confront Emily after the debacle a few days prior. He was trying to be nice and let JJ spend some time with Emily but his plan backfired. He sighed, "Are you sure? I really think Emily should go with you."

"I don't need babysitting," JJ laughed as she hopped int he driver seat. "Call us when the M.E. report comes in."

"Will do," Reid confirmed as JJ closed the door and backed out of the parking lot. Reid turned and stared at the door to the police station, his shoulders dropped as he headed back in to see Emily.

"Hey, I thought you were with JJ?" Emily asked looking up from a pile of papers. 

"I figured I could read the M.E. report faster," Reid shrugged.

"Oh, okay. Ill go with her then," Emily said standing up to go. 

Reid shook his head, "She already left. Said she didn't need babysitting."

Emily chuckled, "Of course she did. Well, I guess it's just you and me."

"Looks like it," Reid said awkwardly. There was a long pause as they both stared at the other searching for words. Reid finally broke the silence, "Emily, I just wanted to say..."

"Reid," Emily whispered. Now was not the time nor place to have this discussion.

"No, I have to say this now," Reid interrupted. "Emily, the reason I felt so betrayed by you is because... I love you." The last three words were barely audible as he plunged his hands in his pockets and let out a breath he didn't realize he had been holding. 

"I know," Emily replied. "But Reid, I don't..." she watched all hope drain from Reid's eyes. "I mean you're like family to me. I just don't feel romantically attracted to you."

"That's fine," Reid whispered in defeat, "I just wanted to get that out of the way so we can move on and stop tip toeing around it. Can we do that? Can we move on and focus on the case?"

"Yeah, we can do that," Emily smiled. "I appreciate you being honest with me."

Reid forced a smile and sat down at the table to start going through the evidence again. About thirty minutes later an officer brought in the medical examiner's report. Reid opened the folder and began reading page by page. 

"Emily, the M.E. found a partial finger print on Jessica Tunnel. I'll call and have Garcia run it now," Reid said as he dialed their technical analyst and put the call on speaker. 

"Office of the all knowing and absolutely gorgeous, how can I help?" Garcia answered.

"Garcia, do you have a copy of the M.E. report yet?"

"Yes, I just got the file. Let me guess, you want me to run the fingerprint?"

"Absolutely," Emily stated. "Your software is far more efficient than what they have here. Let us know if you get a hit."

"I'll call you when I know!" Garcia replied as the call disconnected. 

Emily called Hotch and Rossi to update them and to have them try and bring Thomas and Franklin in for voluntary finger printing. She tried JJ next but her phone went to voice mail, "Jayje, we have a partial. Give me a call back, we're waiting on an ID"

Time passed and Rossi arrived with Christopher Franklin. He and Reid did a quick interrogation and verified Franklin's alibi that he had been out of the state for the past two months, taking care of his dying mother. He even volunteered his finger prints. Just as they were releasing him, Hotch and Derek showed up. 

"Thomas was a dead end," Derek explained. "His alibi is solid for the time of two of the disappearances. What about you guys?"

"Same with Franklin," Rossi replied. 

Hotch looked around the room noticing Reid, "Where's JJ?"

"She's still out," Reid stated.

"Why aren't you with her?" Hotch asked worriedly. 

Just then the phone rang. "Baby girl, you're on speaker, behave," Derek reminded. 

"Oh, I like it when you act all dominating," Garcia said without thinking. Hotch rolled his eyes. 

"Garcia, did you get a hit?" he asked. 

"Yes, prints weren't in VICAP so I ran a wider net and they came back to a Howard Yates. He was printed when he got the job at CU"

The team all went silent.

"Hello?" Garcia asked. 

"Garcia, we need you to check the GPS on JJ's phone," Rossi replied. 

There was the faint sound of typing then a small gasp, "It's been off for over an hour. Guys, what does that mean? Where's JJ?"

"I don't know," Hotch replied. "But we're going to find out."


	10. Chapter 10

JJ had arrived at Yates' house only twenty minutes after leaving the station. It was a quaint house in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, perfectly secluded. JJ honestly hadn't even noticed as she parked in the long driveway of the mountain getaway. 

Her phone chimed but she decided she'd check it once she was back in the car. Walking up to the house she noticed a 4x4 Suburu Outback in the garage, perfect for trekking up in the mountains where they had found the bodies. But she had also noticed nearly everyone in Boulder seemed to drive one, so again, it didn't seem too out of place. 

She knocked on the door and waited. 

"Can I help you?" the man asked. He was mid 40s, golden blonde hair, green eyes. _Handome_ , JJ thought as she smiled and flashed her badge. 

"Harold Yates? I'm SSA Jennifer Jareau from the FBI. Can I ask you a few questions?"

"Is this regarding the bodies they found up in the woods?" Yates asked. "All the students are talking about it at the university, especially in my department."

"Yes sir, it is. May I come in?"

"Oh, of course," he answered as he opened the door and motioned her into his home. 

It was bigger on the inside, beautiful wood floors, two stories, with an open living room accentuated with a large fireplace in the center of the room. Cozy, ideal mountain home. 

"Sit," he said as he sat in the arm chair next to the couch.

"No thank you, this won't take long," JJ replied. "Did you know any of the students that were discovered?"

"Well, I can't say that I knew any personally. I had seen a few around campus but I wouldn't know them by name," Yates replied. "It's a shame. Beautiful girls, all of them."

 _Odd choice of words_. "And can you tell me where you were the night of November the 15th?"

"Wait, am I being interrogated?" Yates asked as his entire demeanor changed. 

"We are simply asking some people around campus, who were connected to the Jonbenet Ramsey case, about their whereabouts the night Jessica Tunnel was abducted," JJ replied as she took in every movement Yates made. 

"Jonbenet?" he questioned. "I was an intern at the Denver Post when that story broke. I would hardly say I was 'connected'. Nevertheless, I feel like I should contact my lawyer before I answer any other questions."

"Sir, you're not being charged with anything," _yet_ , she thought. 

"Still, I'd feel more comfortable consulting with my attorney before we continue," he replied flatly. 

"If you could just tell me where you were that evening then we can wrap this up," JJ smiled as her gut clenched a little. 

"I was on campus, probably grading in my office," Yates finally admitted. 

"And your office is about 10 minutes from the soccer field?"

"Look, my TA can attest to my whereabouts," Yates said as he pulled out his phone. "His name is Robert Crenshaw, I can give you his phone number."

"That won't be necessary," JJ lied. She knew Garcia could get a hold of his teaching assistant and they would call him in separately to check Yates' alibi. 

Listening to her gut feeling, she decided to wrap up the interview. Just as she began to stand to go, Yates' phone rang. 

"Excuse me," he said as he checked the caller ID, "I need to take this."

JJ nodded. It would give her time to sort of scout out the house while he stepped away. Yates stepped into another room, presumably his office, and shut the door. 

JJ walked around the living room. _Tidy for a bachelor_. She ran her finger across the mantle, it came back dust free. _Extremely, tidy _. She noted a few pictures on a table near down the hallway of Professor Yates and some of his female students. Graduation pictures, mostly. _All blondes_. Then she saw it, a picture of Yates and the third victim, Heather Lowry. His arm draped across her shoulder, her forced smile, something was off about the picture. It wasn't on campus. _He lied about knowing any of the women_.__

__Just as the office door opened, JJ turned quickly to find Yates merely feet away from her. She pointed at the photograph, "I thought you didn't know any of the women."_ _

__He looked at the picture for a second, "I'm sorry you had to see that."_ _

__He produced a fire poker from behind his back and struck JJ over the head. She crumpled to the ground. He duct taped her wrists and feet together and covered her mouth. He hoisted her over his shoulder and took her out to his SUV and loaded her in the trunk._ _

___________________________________________________________ _

__JJ woke up, swimming into a blinding light. She knew instantly she was restrained and bound to the chair she was sitting in. _Stay calm_._ _

__"Oh good, you're awake," Yates said happily._ _

__JJ scanned the room, they were in some sort of shack. Maybe a hunting shack by the looks of it. There were pictures on the wall of the women that came before her. She counted each one. _Sixteen_. There were twelve more bodies out there yet to be discovered. He had been killing a lot longer than they had expected. _ _

___Stay calm_._ _

__"I'm so lucky," Yates grinned, "You're beautiful. Just like Jonbenet, just like the girls. You're perfect, just like a beauty queen."_ _

__JJ shifted in the chair to try and find any weak spots in the restraints._ _

__"No, no," Yates said seriously, "None of that now. You're secure, I assure you. I'm going to take such good care of you. You're going to look amazing."_ _

__He crossed the room and held a mirror in front of JJ, "I'll do your hair, your make up, your nails. It will be just like a day at the salon!"_ _

___Stay calm_._ _

__He began to run his fingers through her hair and JJ kept from wincing as he trailed over the spot where he had hit her. He took the time to braid her hair as he hummed, nearly giddy with excitement._ _

__"You're a little old for my taste," he admitted. "But you'll be an adequate Christmas present. The other girls struggled, they didn't appreciate my pampering. They had to be taught a lesson. You won't fight back, will you Jennifer?"_ _

___Stay calm_. JJ shook her head. _ _

__"Good, I'm going to take the tape off your mouth," Yates explained. "If you scream..." He produced her gun and waved it in front of her. "I'll have to teach you a lesson as well."_ _

__She nodded again._ _

__He did as promised and removed the duct tape that had previously been covering her mouth. "There you go."_ _

__"You really promise to pamper me?" she asked, playing along._ _

__"Oh, I promise."_ _

__"How long have you been pampering women?" she asked sweetly._ _

__"For years now," Yates said as if it was the most common thing in the world. "It took me a while to perfect my craft. But you? Naturally blonde?" He leaned in and smelled her hair, "You're just amazing, Jennifer."_ _

__She cringed internally every time he said her name. _Stay calm, don't show him your disdain_. _ _

__"You and I are going to have so much fun," he smiled as he leaned in and kissed her. JJ closed her mouth and tried not to react. The more she struggled, the more likely she was to get hurt. She needed to play along long enough for the team to find her._ _

__She looked at the pictures on the wall again. She needed the team to find her._ _


End file.
